RUI: Magnetic Stratigraphy of the Eocene-Oligocene Transition Floras in the Warner Mountains, Northeastern California

该项目建议使用磁性地层学和单晶Ar测年方法来更准确地限制加利福尼亚州东北部华纳山脉的植物群的年龄。这些植物群被认为记录了从始新世晚期到渐新世早期的气候恶化。精细的华纳山脉年代学将有助于确定北美大陆内部和全球范围内始新世晚期/渐新世早期边界冷却是否突然和同步，以及它是否与海洋氧同位素曲线中显示的早期渐新世冷却相关。这反过来将有助于社区更好地了解从始新世温室气候向渐新世早期冰室气候过渡期间整个北美气候变化的性质，并应引起广泛的古生物学家、地质学家、生物学家和古气候学家的广泛兴趣。国际地质学协会继续进行广泛的外展工作，将包括对本科生进行实地和实验室地质学方面的培训。到目前为止，PI已经与他的30多名本科生发表了同行评议的科学论文。这些学生中的许多人都成功地在研究生院攻读了博士学位。

This project proposes to use magnetostratigraphy and single crystal argon dating methodologies to more precisely constrain the age of floras in the Warner Mountains in northeastern California. These floras are believed to record climatic deterioration from the late Eocene to early Oligocene. A refined geochronology of the Warner Mountains will help resolve whether or not Late Eocene/Early Oligocene boundary cooling was abrupt and synchronous both within the North American continent and globally, and whether it correlates with the Early Oligocene cooling seen in marine oxygen isotope curves. This, in turn, will help the community to better understand the nature of climatic change across North America during the transition from the greenhouse climates of the Eocene to the icehouse climates of the early Oligocene, and should be of broad interest to a wide spectrum of paleontologists, geologists, biologists, and paleoclimatologists. Outreach efforts by the PI continue to be extensive and will include training undergraduate students in both field and laboratory geology. The PI has, to date, published peer-reviewed scientific papers with more than 30 of his undergraduate students. Many of these students have gone on to successfully pursue the PhD at graduate institutions.